theme

Convinced that advertising creatives see everything myopically through the lens of their craft, the Dallas Advertising League chose the theme “Obsession Has Its Place” to promote its Addy Awards in 2012. TM Advertising developed nine hilarious scenarios of singularly focused ad men and women dealing with everyday life situations. Jeremy Bartel of Liberal Media Films directed the videos, Jason Burks directed photography, and Charlie Uniform Tango did the post-production. Here are just two of the videos. To see the rest, go here.

Sports and beer were meant for each other. If you watch beer commercials, that’s the impression you get. The beer- sports fan theme is an advertising cliché. Unfortunately, most of the ads are so interchangeably similar that one brand name on a beer bottle could be photoshopped out and replaced with another and no one would know the difference. Most of these commercials feature attractive, young people with bottles of beer in their hands, yucking it up in a crowded sports bar. When you’ve seen one beer-in-bar commercial, you’ve seen them all. Which brings us to the Carlsberg Fan Academy spot, created by Fold 7 agency in London. Like most videos that go viral, this one has a story line that holds your attention and is fun to watch. It’s a comedy sketch, with actors not models, and the brand message for Carlsberg comes through strong, but doesn’t stomp over the entertainment value. The viewers’ delight in getting amusement from an ad, makes them feel good about the brand and want to retweet it to share with friends.

What happens when two branding experts join forces to start a sushi restaurant? Maki-san, that’s what. This one-location, create-your-own sushi place in Singapore looked too well conceived to be a humble local startup. A little online snooping unearthed the fact that Maki-san was started by art director Joseph Koh and copywriter Omar Marks, whose roots trace back to McCann Erickson Singapore. That explained why the brand concept seemed to cover all the essentials — graphic tone of voice, color palette, market positioning, typography, logo, target audience, etc. — indicating that professionals were involved.

We are not sure where the nautical theme originated, but the anchor that serves as an ampersand in the John & John logo implies that there is some sailing connection. This may have inspired The Peter Schmidt Group in Hamburg to design packaging that subtly suggests the geometric shapes of maritime flags. The handcooked potato chips are made in the UK and imported to Germany by Hamburg-based Market Grounds. Each chip flavor is identified by a bold black number, so that even if German consumers can’t recall which flavor they like, they can recognize it by number. The prominent numbers also serve to brand the entire John & John potato chip line, giving the brand greater store shelf presence. They also make it easy for customers to see when another flavor has been added – just look for a new number.

“Why Asian advertising is strong and mystic” was the theme of AdFest 2011, an exhibition of the best ad work in Asia. Commissioned by the Yoshida Hideo Memorial Foundation/ Advertising Museum Tokyo to promote this pan-Asian event, Dentsu Inc. in Osaka developed a poster series with lavish illustrations that reminds one of a reflexology foot chart or, in the case of the open palm, like a spiritual mudra (a hand gesture that symbolizes divine manifestation).

Books

Graphis 360

The latest Graphis 360 is now available. Long the ultimate word on the best of graphic design, Graphis is published as a quarterly journal. Subscriptions and single editions are available through the Graphis Store.

Museum Exhibition

Now – December 31, 2019
@ Atelier des Lumières

Starry Night exhibition
The Atelier des Lumières has transformed an old iron foundry in Paris into an immersive installation. It invites visitors to step inside some of the Post-Impressionist’s most celebrated canvases. This selection of luminous, larger-than-life images includes his signature self-portraits, his series of Irises, and, his pièce de résistance, the sparkling Starry Night.

Event

June 20 — 28, 2019

San Francisco Design Week is an opportunity to experience the region’s unique design talents, impact and innovations. From household products to tech you wear or carry in your pocket, San Francisco is a hub of innovation like no other. Through studio tours and events, SFDW celebrates this spirit of newness by providing unique access to exhibitions and conversations with the designers who are shaping the future — from architecture to fashion, product design to digital services, and everything in between.